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Free water not possible, says Chandigarh administrator on AAP’s giveway
The administrator on Tuesday said he won’t approve Chandigarh MC House’s decision to provide 20,000 litres of free water to each household every month
A day after the Chandigarh municipal corporation (MC) House, under AAP mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, approved 20,000 litres of free water monthly for each household, Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit said he won’t approve the House decision.
“I won’t approve the proposal for free water. Yesterday, one party was offering 20,000 litres of free water while another was offering 40,000 litres. I am not favouring any political party, but they should make only those promises to residents that can be fulfilled,” said Purohit during his speech at the launch of “Swachhata ki Pustak” in Chandigarh on Tuesday.
“How can we give free water in Chandigarh when we have already signed loan agreement for 15 years for the 24x7 water project?” remarked Purohit, adding that MC commissioner Anindita Mitra should have guided the councillors that it was not possible to give free water.
The administrator was referring to the agreement signed between MC and French government’s Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD).
Of the project’s total financial outlay of ₹510 crore, ₹412 crore is being provided by AFD in the form of loan, to be repaid in 15 years. In addition, the European Union is giving a grant of ₹98 crore for the project. The loan amount will be recovered from residents through soon-to-be increased monthly water bills.
Former mayor Anup Gupta said, “The water rates and slabs are already fixed in the agreement with AFD. This is why the BJP slashed sewerage cess that ultimately reduced water bills.”
During the general House meeting on Monday, tensions had escalated after BJP councillors advocated for 40,000 litres of free water just when INDIA bloc councillors were ready to table their agenda for 20,000 litres of free water, leading to a heated exchange of words, followed by suspension of BJP councillors, who were marshaled out amid high drama.
“The BJP government, led by PM Modi, is committed towards upliftment of the weaker sections of society by providing basic amenities to everyone. In our sankalp of achieving a Viksit Bharat, we the BJP councillors propose that the MC should provide 40,000 litres of drinking water free to every household in Chandigarh,” the BJP councillors had said.
While both freebies for free water and free parking were green-lit by the House, the absence of detailed implementation plans had left many unanswered questions.
The agenda merely stated the urgency to resolve these issues for the welfare of residents, leaving key aspects like water tariffs after 20,000 litres, parking lot management, smart parking project and revenue impact unaddressed.
It is worth mentioning that in the FY 2024-25 budget, passed by the mayor himself less than a week ago, MC estimates to earn ₹160 crore from water bills and ₹25 crore from parking fee, a significant portion of the total revenue estimates of ₹633 crore.
With the generous 20,000 litres of free water and complimentary parking in city markets, it now faces a potential ₹85-crore dent in the annual revenue.
Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor was unavailable for comments.
“UT administration must let MC handle its own affairs. MC is an autonomous body and if councillors have resolved something, it should be implemented. Also, providing clean drinking water should be MC’s priority and the 24x7 project is taking years and years for implementation. The agenda was what people demanded,” said Pawan Bansal, senior Congress leader.
“We just demanded basic amenities to be free for residents, like medical and education services are free in many parts of the country. Basic needs should be provided at reasonable rates. For parking, we have alternatives for revenue generation and we will soon bring a comprehensive plan for it. These are not freebies, but schemes for the welfare of people,” said Dr SS Ahluwalia, co-incharge, AAP, Chandigarh.
